Uncertainty
by kanyon01
Summary: One night leaves Steve Rogers falling hard for Tony Stark. Are the feelings mutual? Steve/Tony (Stony) High School AU. Disclaimer: I don't own Avengers or any of it's characters.
1. Standing up to Stark

Steve was more than ready for the first day of Sophomore year. He'd had all of his new clothes washed and ready. His school bag was already packed. And he'd showered the night before, because he hated waking up early. Steve got dressed quickly and fixed his hair. The blonde stumbled out the door and into his car. He shoved the keys into the ignition and turned. The teen smiled as the vehicle roared to life. In a matter of minutes, he was at his high school. He parked the car and dropped the keys into his bag. There was a bounce to his step, until he made it through the front door. A year of bad memories came flooding back, making him drop a binder that he was holding. For a moment, he couldn't seem to snap out of it. T

hen he saw a familiar face, and was frightened into movement. He picked up his binder and scattered to his 1st period class. He had chemistry with some guy name Mr. Wood. Steve quickly found a desk in the back corner away from all other students. There was actually a ring of empty desks surrounding his own. He laughed silently to himself.

"What are you doing?" A voice interrupted his thoughts. He looked up and met eyes with none other then Tony Stark.

Now this guy was a real dick. Tony could get any girl he wanted, and he had a whole bunch of people basically worshipping him. His group of "friends" bullied people on the daily, so that he didn't look like the bad guy. Oh, and he was a billionaire. For some reason, Steve always ended up in almost every class with him.

"Sitting." The blonde found himself replying. Any person in their right mind would have just up and left. For nobody wanted to get on the great Tony's bad side.

"Well get up." The billionaire commanded. Steve still didn't budge.

"Nah I think I'm good." He replied. He could tell he was getting under the other's skin. Tony's eyes suddenly darkened.

"This is my desk. Get up or I'll make you get up." He threatened. Steve looked around and found that his suspicions were proved right. The teacher wasn't in the classroom yet. That meant the blonde was at complete mercy. However, he still wasn't afraid.

"I'd like to see you try." Steve retorted, crossing his arms. The blonde was glaring at the billionaire, never breaking eye contact. Tony leaned in real close, threateningly close. Then he punched Steve straight in the face. The blonde wasn't surprised in the least, and he got up and fought back. In a matter of seconds, the two were all over each other. The punched, kicked, hit anywhere they could reach. Tony was even playing dirty by biting and pulling hair.

Before either could win the fight, some kid yelled "Teacher!"

The pair repelled from each other. Tony scrambled for his seat and beat Steve to it. Steve grumbled and sat in the next available desk. Tony smirked and crossed his arms.

"Nice try Steve." He added childishly. The blonde rolled his eyes.

"Whatever." he retorted. Though when he turned away, he was smiling slightly. The two always fought, but in the end Steve enjoyed it. He would never admit that to anyone, but he did. It was something to take his mind off his home-life. It also gave him some street cred, as he was the only student in the entire school who dared stand up to Tony Stark.

The teacher walked in the room finally, interrupting Steve's train of thought. The guy started rambling about things the blonde didn't care about. He zoned out the entire period. As the bell rang, Steve shot up out of his seat. However, he winced and fell back down. One quick scan of his ankle let him know that it was broken. Tony must've stepped on it really hard, and that's why it'd felt achy the whole period.

"Shit Shit Shit Shit Shit." Steve began muttering under his breath. He raked a hand anxiously through his hair, mind racing. What was he going to do now? His uncle couldn't afford any medical bills, and it was only the two of them. The rest of Steve's family was either dead, or hated them.

"What's your problem?" Tony snorted, looking down on the blonde. No way was Steve filling the asshole in.

"Nothing." He replied, trying to force nonchalance in his voice. Though he was well aware of how panicked he looked.

"Then stand up." Tony replied, smirking. Steve faked a smiled and forced himself to a standing position. He could feel shooting pains up his leg, and he swore he was about to faint. He placed his hands on the desk to lean on them. The blonde's face was contorted from the pain. He grunted, trying to reposition himself to walk.

"Can't walk?" Tony asked, actually sounding slightly concerned.

Steve laughed slightly. There had been signs before that Tony didn't hate him completely. Whenever he was in deep trouble, the billionaire actually seemed to help him. They were kinda like friends who entertained each other with arguments. At least that's how he saw it.

"No." The blonde finally bit out. He was forcing back tears by this point, for he was still putting pressure on the foot.

"Well sit down you idiot." Tony responded. Steve complied and fell back into the chair.

"I'll go get you crutches, the nurse knows me." The black haired teen stated.

"Thanks." The blonde muttered as Tony left the classroom. Once he was gone, the teacher approached Steve.

"So, you're going to need a late pass then?" He asked awkwardly. The teen nodded chastely. Mr. Wood ran back to his desk and began to scribble on a little piece of paper. In a minute or so, Tony was back with the crutches. He handed them over to Steve somewhat quickly. He seemed to be in a rush.

"Thanks." Steve said.

"Sure, it was my fault. But I need to go now." The billionaire replied.

He ran out of the classroom looking slightly embarrassed. It took the blonde a minute to catch on. Tony was ashamed to be seen helping him. He frowned but got over it pretty quickly. He had the crutches now and that was all that mattered. He could bind his ankle with gauze when he got home. The blonde got up and leaned on the crutches. He grabbed the late pass from Mr. Wood on the way out, and began the route to his next class. Ignoring the pains shooting up his leg, he made it to geometry. Steve pushed open the door and ignored the stares from everyone in the room.

"Sorry I'm late." He said to the teacher, Ms. Doyle. She nodded and accepted the pass. The blonde was told to find a seat, and he obeyed without argument. There was an open one right behind Tony. (Yep, another class with the brunet; it was a small high school) Steve didn't say anything to the billionaire. He instead focused on drawing on his desk.

"Mr. Rogers." Ms. Doyle yelled, snapping the blonde out of his thoughts.

"What?" He asked, leaning forward to cover his articulate little doodles.

"Pay attention!" She scolded. Then she turned to start writing on the board again. Steve smirked as she didn't even notice his desk. The class went pretty quickly, and he was up and out of his chair in an instant. The rest of the morning went fast. In a matter of time, it was lunch. He sat with his usual group of friends- oh wait. He had no friends. Nobody really liked him, for a few reasons:

1. He was a troublemaker, especially when it came to Tony

2. He was a slack in class

3. He wasn't good at talking to people

So Steve ate his lunch alone, as usual. He found comfort in the lack of friends. For he didn't need to depend on anybody but himself. And he surely didn't need people depending on him. The period went just as quick as the rest. Soon enough, it was the end of the day. Steve really didn't want to go home, so he kinda sat in his car for a little while listening to music. He procrastinated as much as he could, especially since it was Monday . Mondays were the worst, since his uncle was always hungover and touchy. Any other day, the man was rarely seen. He was always at a bar, or at a drunken friend's house. So Steve didn't have to worry. But Mondays were the worst.

After a bit more lying around in his car, Steve forced himself to turn the vehicle on. He knew that if he wasn't home before 5, his uncle would have a cow. So he started the drive for home, arriving in a few minutes. From the outside the house seemed peaceful. But the instant he stepped in, he could tell something was off. Not only was his uncle in a bad mood, he was still drunk. 'Shit' Steve thought. He tried to sneak to his room, but the crutches were loud. His uncle heard him.

"Good, you're home boy. Make me something to eat." He commanded, words slurring immensely.

Steve sighed to himself, and limped into the kitchen. He wouldn't dare leave the crutches where his uncle could touch them. Ignoring the pain, he bagan to cook. The blonde flew around the kitchen easily, for he was the only one in the house that ever made anything. He gathered the ingredients to make a nice meal. Steve gave the first plate to his uncle, as that was the rule. He waited until the man finished eating then cleaned up the wasn't really hungry, and the food was cold by the time he was "allowed" to eat. So he put the leftovers in the fridge. Steve started the hobble back to his room but was interrupted by his guardian.

"Wait son, get me another beer." He said, words still running together. The blonde obeyed and brought the man his beer. However, as he handed it over, his uncle grabbed his hand roughly. Steve gulped nervously, for the last time they'd touched it hadn't ended well.

"I said beer!" His uncle yelled, and lifted the bottle up high. He brought it back down over his nephews arm. It shattered, causing Steve to let out a whimper. He tried to pull away, but the grip on his hand was strong.

"Stop!" Steve yelled.

"What did you say boy?" His uncle yelled, too drunk to even understand what he was doing.

He stood up and began to beat his nephew. He landed kicks and punches in a few places. The sick thing is that he was clearly enjoying it. After a few minutes, the beating ended and Steve retreated to his room. There had never been one this bad before. He didn't know what to do, he was bleeding everywhere and he could barely walk. Someone must've really pissed his uncle off to make him get this drunk and angry. Steve was unintentionally crying from the intensity of the pain. His arm hurt the most, as there was still glass embedded in his skin. He wiped the tears from his eyes and tried to calm down. In a couple seconds he'd gathered himself, and the blurriness from the tears had dissipated.

He stared at his arm, trying to figure out what to do. The blood was flowing so heavily he couldn't even see the glass underneath any longer. He let out a string of swears. Frantically, he grabbed his phone and scrolled through his recordings. He plopped down on the floor and crossed his legs. After a couple seconds he found the recording he was looking for.

"Hi, this is Mandy Rogers, please leave a message after the beep and I'll get back as soon as possible." Steve listened to it over and over, the tears coming back.

"What would mom have done?" He kept asking himself. He just didn't know! He threw the phone down frustratingly. He was beginning to feel really faint.

"Think Steve!" He repeated in his head. Finally, he looked through his contacts. He had two numbers, his uncle's, and Tony Stark's. Don't ask how he got the billionaire's number. The guy was basically his only friend...enemy. Whatever, same difference. Panicked still, Steve dialed Tony's number. It rang three times before someone picked up.

"Tony Stark." Was the greeting. Steve swallowed the lump in his throat and tried to make it sound like he hadn't been crying.

"Hey, It's Steve. Sorry to bug you, but someone gave me your number. And I kinda need help, um if you're not busy." The blonde mumbled out. Even he could hear how pathetic that sounded.

"Steve Rogers?" Tony asked, sounding surprised.

"Yeah." The blonde replied.

"Um ok, what happened?" The billionaire asked.

"...um...someone broke a bottle on my arm, and I can't figure out how to get the glass out" He replied finally, after hesitating. He could hear the gasp on the other line.

"Shit, come on over." Tony replied, then stated his address. Steve quickly thanked him then ran out to his car. He drove to the address, barely keeping his eyes open. He almost got into a couple accidents. Though, surprisingly, he made it to Tony's without fainting or getting himself killed. By then he was done crying, and he didn't look as disheveled. He just felt very tired. Steve struggled to get out of his car without falling over. The blonde limped up to Tony's front door. He wrapped his arm in his shirt so he didn't bleed on the pavement. He was already going to have to clean out his car somehow. The blonde raised a weak fist and knocked on the door. It opened quickly, and Tony's eyes about popped out of his head. Steve hadn't really thought about the other bruises that were probably now evident, but it was clear that he looked horrible. The billionaire pulled Steve inside carefully.

"What the fuck happened?" Tony asked. Steve thought for a minute as he was lead into a room.

"I got mugged." He lied. The brunet obviously wasn't buying it, but he let it slide.

"Sit down." He commanded. Steve complied once again. Steve didn't really notice as a nurse came in and started fixing him up. Tony kinda just sat back and watched. The blonde was too busy trying to stay awake per someone's command. He couldn't remember who'd said that to him. Everything was so blurry. He finally became aware of the nurse as she began to pull the glass out of his arm. Steve winced, but he didn't dare move as she was working. In a few minutes, his arm was bandaged up, as well as his ankle. The bruises couldn't be fixed, so they were just left alone.

"Thanks." Steve muttered, still fighting to stay awake. Tony chauffeured the nurse out of the room.

"What really happened?" He asked, as soon as they were alone.

"Not that I really care." He added as an afterthought, seemingly remembering their enemy status.

"Sorry." Steve said instead.

"Thanks, but I should go home. Seriously thanks. If it weren't for you, I'd probably be dead on the floor in my room. I'd love to see the look on my Uncle's face when he found my body." Steve rambled, snickering at the thought of someone finding him dead. He turned to face Tony and noticed the stunned look on the other's face.

"Uh..ok. You're welcome I guess." The billionaire replied. Steve nodded and forced himself to stand up. Though he forgot he needed crutches and started to fall. Tony caught him however and pushed him backwards into the chair again. He walked to the other side of the room, picked up a different pair of crutches, and handed them to Steve.

"Here" He said.

"Thanks. How do I pay you?" Steve replied. Tony looked surprised.

"No need to, It's no big deal, k?" The billionaire replied. Steve hesitated, but finally nodded. He got up using the crutches and hobbled out to his car. He uttered one more thank you and then drove off.

When Steve finally got home, he went to his room. The blonde cringed at the thought of having to clean up his blood trail the next day, or as soon as he was able to walk. But he would have to worry about that later,. For right as his head his the pillow, his eyes slipped closed. In a matter of seconds he was out like a light.

* * *

**A/N: There you have it. Hope you enjoyed, and I'll try to post the next chapter as soon as possible! Please review :)**


	2. Rogers Gets a Life

Steve considered himself lucky to wake up at all the next morning. With great trouble, he took a shower to get the blood off. He was careful not to wet the gauze on his arm and he put a plastic bag over the gauze on his ankle. He didn't want to have to go through anymore trouble medically. Slowly, he pulled himself out of the shower. He put on a long sleeved shirt. Then he pulled on a pair of jeans and a pair of converse. He was careful when pulling on the shoes, for he didn't want to gauze to show, and he didn't want to destroy it either. After about a few minutes, Steve was dressed. Then he used concealer to cover up the bruises on his face. Yes, he'd needed to do this before, which was why he kept a little makeup in his room.

It sounded weird, but desperate times called for desperate measures. He'd gotten so good at putting on the concealer that it didn't even look like he'd been bruised. Taking one last scan in the mirror, he looked completely normal. The clothes and makeup worked wonders. He laughed at the thought of how many other times he'd pulled this off without anybody noticing a change. Grabbing his bag, Steve ran out the door. He got into his car and drove to school. Parking, he dropped the keys into his bag. It was the same routine every morning for him. Or at least similar. Taking one last look in the mirror, he started the walk for the front doors. He made it to his 1st period class rather quickly. Purposely, he didn't sit in Tony's seat. Steve instead sat in the one next to where Tony usually sat. When the brunet walked into the classroom, he couldn't suppress the stunned look on his face. He forced coolness into his step as he approached Steve.

"You sure are talented with cover up." He joked. The blonde smirked slightly, thought it didn't reach his eyes. He was still in immense pain, remember.

"Impressed?" He asked, laughing. Tony smirked and sat down next to Steve.

"I can't say I'm not, twinkle toes." The billionaire responded. Steve childishly stuck his tongue out at the familiar nickname.

"Whatever, rich boy." He retorted, though he was actually smiling. For some reason, Tony helped take his mind off the pain. The two met eyes, and it was silent for a little bit too long.

"You wanna hang out later, maybe, like as friends I mean?" Tony rambled, trying to make himself sound nonchalant. The blonde averted his eyes, as he didn't want the billionaire to see his blush. He never figured out how the brunet could make him feel such reactions. Sometimes, Steve wanted to rip Tony's head off, and other times, Tony was the only light in Steve's hella messed up life.

"Your house?" The taller asked, trying to shake off the weird hopeful feeling rising in his chest.

"Yeah." The brunet replied. The pair didn't talk for the rest of the class period. Steve had some trouble exiting the room on his crutches. With all the bruises and his lingering fatigue, he nearly passed out again. Though he safely made it to and through the next three classes of the day. It was 5th period that left him reeling. He couldn't figure out what to tell the gym teacher. (The day before he'd made an excuse about feeling like throwing up) He'd had no doctor's note, and surely no parent's note. And he couldn't even explain why he was so beat up in the first place.

This landed him at the guidance counselor's office for reasons he didn't quite understand. He didn't like that place one bit. He had to sit in uncomfortable, over-sanitized metal chairs. And the counselor wasn't as nice as he was told. She had jet black eyes and hair pulled back into a tight bun.

"Steve, would you care to explain how you got hurt so badly?" She asked, her voice as sharp as her jaw. The blonde didn't say a word. She kept asking him questions, and when he didn't answer, she got frustrated. She was just about to dial his uncle when he let out a strangled noise. She froze in her tracks and turned to focus on him.

"Finally willing to share?" She asked, narrowing her eyes suspiciously. Steve sighed. He took a minute to think of a viable excuse.

"I got hit by a car, but I didn't come to in time to see who it was that hit me. I didn't want to tell you because you would harp me for details that I can't remember, for it was a hit and run." He explained his fake story.

She didn't seem to buy it. Steve fidgeted fake nervously under her scrutinizing glare. He just wanted to get the fuck out of there and go to Tony's. Hours passed with her further interrogation. However when the final bell rang, he mumbled some excuse about it being illegal to hold people against their will, then bolted. He made it out of the building and into his car pretty damn quickly (for being on crutches at least). Once he was settled on his blood covered seat, he huffed frustratingly. How was he ever going to catch up on his homework now? He pushed the worries out of his mind. Without thinking anything through, he dialed Stark.

"Steve?" Was the answer this time.

"Yeah, I was jut wondering what time I'm suppose to come over." The blonde replied.

"Why are you out of breath?" The brunet questioned obnoxiously. Steve hadn't even realized he was that tired from escaping the office. He was just really determined to escape that witch of a counselor.

"And why did you miss so many classes?" Tony questioned, sounding strained.

"I ran from the guidance counselor whom kept me locked in her strange little office from 5th period on. What time should I come over?" Steve replied efficiently, not wanting to dwell on the subject too long. He didn't want Tony to start questioning him as well. The billionaire hesitated on the other line.

"About that.. I don't think you can come over today." The brunet replied finally. Steve couldn't deny the wave of hurt that washed over him. He didn't know why he was so crushed by that one sentence.

"OK, I get it. Bye" The blonde replied, voice cold. Then he hung up before the other had a chance to react. Sighing, Steve tried to take control of his temper. After a few minutes his breathing wasn't as rapid, and his heart was beating at a normal pace. He glanced around his car, now somewhat bored. His eyes rested upon the blood stains on the floor and chair of his car. The air smelled metallic and rusty. The blonde would have to look up how to clean blood when he went home.

Home...Steve really didn't want to go back. Even though, technically, his uncle shouldn't be there tonight. However, the day before his uncle wasn't suppose to get so angry. So who knew what could happen. And also, the instant Steve got home, he would have to clean. He simply didn't feel like it. The blonde hesitated in his car for a long time, then he'd made up his mind. Steve was done being told what to do. He was going to take control of his life. This was a rash decision, but he felt that it was the right thing to do.

Steve jammed the keys into his ignition and violently turned them. He drove home as quickly as he could. Once the blonde arrived he barged right in, as it was unlocked. A quick scan of the house confirmed that his uncle was nowhere to be seen. Steve went right into his room and took in his surroundings. What did he really need? He dragged a suitcase out of his closet. Then he sat comfortably on the floor and thought. After a moment's hesitation, he began digging through his bedroom doors. He pulled out the clothes he needed most, the items he needed most, and some random medical supplies. After pausing, he decided to grab his box of memories from underneath his bed. Steve didn't even know why he'd had to think twice about that.

He lugged the suitcase, first aid kit, and box of memories down the stairs. He went out the front door and up to his car. After opening the trunk, he shoved all the stuff inside. Then he stood for a minute. Steve knew he was going to need some other essentials. He went back up to his room and grabbed arms full of blankets and pillows. Then he stopped off at the kitchen and filled a couple paper bags with snacks. Lastly, he hit up the bathroom and took all of his hygienic supplies. He loaded all of the stuff into his car, not just the trunk.

He had an SUV, so there was room by the back seats. The blonde closed all the car's doors and the trunk with a huff. He then took a step back to make up his mind for good. Was there anything he had forgotten? He thought for a few moments. Steve quickly realized that if he was going to rent out a room anywhere, he would need cash. He scampered back inside and looked around his room for money. The blonde remembered that he'd stashed a wad of savings somewhere. After finding it, he shoved it into his pocket.

Then, he'd decided to rummage through his uncle's room. The stupid man was just going to drink the money away anyway. Steve looked through a few cluttered drawers, all the while stepping over broken bottles. Finally he found his gaurdian's stash. He "borrowed" $300. And he didn't feel guilty in the least. Steve waded through all the trash and out of his uncle's filthy bedroom. The blonde dashed down the hall and out to his car. He stuffed the money into his bag and got in his car at last. (It was completely _his_ car, under _his_ name, so his uncle couldn't accuse him of GTA)

Then Steve drove. He drove for a long time, but he knew his exact were the events that took place in the remainder of that day. He found a cheap, underground/dangerous type place that would rent to people his age. He rented a small 1 person apartment. The kitchen and bedroom were one room, and the bathroom was mighty tiny. He was lucky it even had a shower. Steve also got a part time job (he was too young and inexperienced for a full time one), well 2 part-time jobs actually. He got one for weekends, and one for weeknights. He would really need the money. Lastly, he drove back to his old house before it was too late. He stuffed a dresser in his car. Then figured out how to tie his bed to the roof. It took some time and he had some trouble. He almost got crushed by the bed a few times, but he survived.

Next, he stole a box worth of kitchenware. Steve also left a note explaining why there were missing items and why he was absent. He left his number just so his uncle wouldn't call the cops and report a robbery. Lastly, he grabbed a whole bunch of cleaning supplies. His uncle didn't know how to use them anyway. Then he drove back to his apartment.

He organized everything, cleaned everything, and got himself situated. When he looked at the clock right before falling asleep, it was nearly 4am. He was glad to have been so determined with this idea. Otherwise he never would've pulled through. Steve would've been stuck at his despicable guardian's house for the rest of his life. The blonde felt really accomplished, and happy that he'd acted on such impulse. Now he was free. He could do what he wanted and be what he wanted. Steve didn't have to worry about coming home late and getting a beating for it anymore. The blonde smiled dreamily. He felt ten times safer on his own. With that calming feeling, he drifted to sleep.

* * *

When Steve slowly opened his eyes, everything felt hazy. He was aching everywhere, and it took him a moment to realize where he was. He thought for a little and came to the conclusion that he was a crazy mother trucker. Everything he'd done the day before was blurry. It all felt like an odd compulsion he'd had to fulfill, with no further explanation as to why. But even though he didn't fully understand it, he was still glad he did it.

The blonde's head was throbbing violently, but one glance at the clock told him he'd be late if he didn't get moving. He was too tired to bother with a shower, and he looked pretty decent already. So he just got dressed quickly. Steve grabbed his crutches and keys and headed out the door. He locked his apartment up behind him. Then, still half asleep, he shuffled down a few sets of metal stairs. He finally made it to the parking garage (which he'd started a monthly payment for a parking spot in) and sought out his car. Luckily, it was undamaged, and right where he left it. It was times like this that he was glad to have a car that looked like shit. That way nobody wanted to break into it, or try to steal it.

Steve made it to school just barely. Except he quickly realized he'd forgotten to cover all his bruises. He sweat all the makeup off the day before. But he was still too exhausted to care. Steve napped off and on all day. Finally, Tony talked to him. It was during lunch oddly enough. Steve hadn't bought or brought anything to eat because he didn't want to waste any money. The blonde had just had his head down on the table.

"What're you up to, Rogers?" Stark asked, using his sarcastic tone of voice. Though Tony had hurt Steve's feelings only the day before, Steve was still ecstatic to hear the brunet's voice. His heart leapt up into his throat as he lifted his head from the table. As soon as he did, Tony made a horrified expression.

"Did you sleep at all last night? You look exhausted." The billionaire exclaimed. Steve scoffed.

"What is this sleep you speak of." He retorted, smiling playfully.

"You should get some." Tony said. Steve thought he'd seen a flicker of concern visible in the other's expression, but it vanished too quickly for him to analyze.

"Maybe." Steve replied, pretending to be thoughtful. They both ended up laughing.

"So how you holding up?" The billionaire asked, changing the subject. Steve didn't even notice when the brunet sat down. It was so weird for anyone else to ever be at the same lunch table as him. Right as he was formulating an excuse, Tony's group walked up. A couple of them 'accidentally' elbowed Steve in the head. He pretended not to notice. But when they all surrounded Stark like flies to a light bulb, Steve started to get annoyed.

He up and left without another word, and ignored the laughter that could be obviously heard from the table. He made it to the hall and kinda just sat up against a locker. There was still about 20 minutes until passing period, and he didn't know what to with himself. After hesitation, the blonde began to fall asleep. That was when his phone made a noise. He'd received a text.

_"Come over today right after school, Rogers. -Stark"_ Was what it read.

Steve unintentionally grinned. He didn't know why, but that text just made his day. And, he could actually go over too. Since the first week of his job(s) started on Saturday and it was only Wednesday he was free. Steve drifted through the rest of the school day, very bored and tired. Right as the final bell rang, Steve darted out of his chair. He bolted straight out to his car. (Once again, as fast as you can bolt on crutches.) He yanked open the door to his vehicle and climbed in. As soon as he heard the car roar to life, he smiled again.

He was genuinely excited for the day to come. The last time he'd spent a long time talking to anybody was with his uncle..and that wasn't exactly a conversation. He shuddered as scarring memories intruded his mind. He quickly shoved them away and turned on his car. He couldn't exactly remember where Tony's house was though. Lately, he'd been forgetting everything. And also getting dizzy every time he stood. Sadly, he couldn't remember being hit on the head at any point. So he couldn't figure out any explanation for the temporary amnesia. After pondering that for a minute, he realized he still had a problem. Steve stopped off on an abandoned street to text Tony.

_"What's your address again? I can't remember. -Rogers"_ Was what it said.

He'd never noticed their shift from using first names to using last names. It made him feel cooler for some reason. In about 3 minutes, he got a reply. Now that he knew where he was headed, he got there in about 5 minutes. He forced himself out of his car. The blonde skipped up to the door, but paused before knocking. He took a moment to get all his excitement in check and hidden. Then he raised a fist and knocked somewhat loudly. Tony opened the door within about three seconds.

"Steve!" He exclaimed happily. The blonde smiled awkwardly, suddenly feeling like he didn't belong at all.

"Come in!" The billionaire said, after a few more moments of awkward silence. He ushered the other inside and told him to sit down. Steve complied. After they were both situated with drinks, Tony began to speak again.

"So, how's it going?" He asked, sounding uncomfortable. Steve was getting suspicious, as Stark was acting kinda weird.

"Fine." The blonde replied, voice cold.

"Relax." Tony said, suddenly filled with charisma again.

"I wouldn't have invited you over here if I didn't have a reason." He added, smirking slightly. Steve quirked his eyebrow in response.

"And that would be..?" He asked, curious.

"I like talking to you. We really need to be friends." The brunet replied. Steve felt his heart flutter.

"Are you blushing?" The billionaire asked, smiling slightly.

"I mean I get it, I am pretty irresistible." He continued. Then he leaned forward slightly and placed a rough hand on Steve's cheek. The blonde froze immediately. He didn't want to risk ruining the moment. He felt sparks where Tony's skin touched his own. Steve didn't want that feeling to stop. Subconsciously he leaned forward and made a low purring sound in his throat. The brunet smiled playfully.

"You like that?" He asked, his voice barely a whisper. Steve hesitated, but nodded slightly. The blonde looked up and met eyes with Tony. The billionaire's face momentarily softened. Unexpectedly, Tony began to lean towards Steve. The blonde felt heat rising in his cheeks (as if it ever left) and his heart was pounding violently in his ribcage.

That was when someone's phone went off.

They both jumped, and Tony scrambled to answer his phone. He picked it up and mumbled some excuse. Then he hung up on the person. For a moment, the brunet looked highly flustered. When he regained control of his actions, he smirked.

"So wanna watch a movie or something?" The billionaire suggested. Steve nodded, Still reeling over their almost-kiss. Tony got up and shuffled out of the room. He came back with about 5 DVD's in hand.

"Which one?" He asked, locking eyes dramatically with the blonde. However, Steve wasn't picky with movies, so he just pointed to the one in the middle. The brunet smirked.

"Good choice." He purred. Then he put all the DVD's back in their place and settled next Steve on the couch. He was damn close. Steve unintentionally blushed again. The billionaire seemed to notice the blondes reaction and smirked slightly. He turned on the movie and turned off the lights. The blonde actually got really into the movie. It was an action flick with a bit of romance. People kept getting shot and it kept him interested.

Then he was getting distracted by something else. Tony kept snuggling up closer to Steve. The blonde didn't know quite what to do, especially since it was dark. He could only make out some of Tony's features from the glow of the movie. Steve knew for sure he wasn't suppose to be this tense, so he ignored his thumping heart in favor of shifting his position as well. He slowly put an arm around Tony's shoulders and waited for a reaction. The brunet didn't shy away, instead he got even closer. Once they'd both reached maximum closeness, they were comfortable. Steve's face was on fire for the rest of the movie. He was struggling to keep his heart in his chest. Finally the end credits rolled around. Tony got up and flipped the lights back on. He met eyes with Steve and smirked as soon as he saw the taller's face.

"We should do this again." The billionaire simply said. Tony walked back over to the couch and pecked Steve on the cheek. That didn't help with the blonde's red face, it only inflamed it further. (if that was humanly possible) Right as Steve was walking out the door, Tony added one more thing.

"Bye honey."

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**A/N: So there you go. Next chapter up already! And d****idn't you just adore that fluff? Please review XD**

**Oh, and thanks Panda for reviewing!**


	3. Stay Away from Stark

When Steve walked into school the next morning, he felt utterly dazed. He was still reeling over his date type thing with Tony the night before. However, he didn't let it show as he strolled into chemistry. He swallowed his excitement, and for the first time in a long time, silently found his seat. In anticipation, he glanced around the room in search of Tony. For a brief moment, it seemed that the billionaire was absent. Then, as hope was almost lost, the brunet stalked in. He didn't have any of his supplies, and he was acting extra jerky. He seemed to be acting like he owned the whole world. The billionaire plopped down in the only empty desk and completely turned away from Steve. The blonde wanted to pick a fight, though.

He began poking Tony on the shoulder. The brunet's eyebrow twitched. Steve smirked and poked harder. After about a minutes, the billionaire snapped.

"Stop It you idiot!" He yelled, looking successfully pissed. Everyone in the room turned to look at the pair. This didn't bother the blonde.

"What, am I bothering you?" He asked, smirking. Tony frowned deeply, anger still evident in his eyes.

"Yes, you're bothering me. You always bother me. I don't know what makes you think you have the right to talk to me. I'm TONY STARK. Your only STEVE whatever." The brunet ranted, he was so aggravated that his words ran together. Steve froze. Normally he would have yelled back, or swore at the other. But for some reason he suddenly didn't feel like it. All he wanted to do was get away. Away from all the people who didn't know his name, away from the jerk who lead him on, away from..just EVERYTHING.

He'd finally escaped his hell house. Finally. But he would never be able to escape the memories. He knew he'd always be invisible, he'd never be wanted. He tried to so hard to get attention. He misbehaved in front of teachers and officials. He picked fights with Tony. He ticked off Tony's friends, none of it worked. Unintentionally, Steve's eyebrow began to twitch.

The class had begun talking again and the argument was old news.

"S-Steve..?" The billionaire whispered. He ducked his head and made sure nobody could see him. The blonde was just tired. He had no point in life, he just wanted to escape. Nobody loved him, nobody ever would. He'd always be invisible. Nobody cared! It was plain and simple.

The blonde began tugging at his hair.

"Steve." Tony stated, trying to get the teen's attention.

The blonde began to bite his lip. He hardly tasted the blood.

"Steve!" Tony finally yelled. The whole room dropped silent again.

"What?" The blonde asked, exasperated. He finally looked at Tony. Despair was evident in his eyes.

"You know I gotta go." Steve mumbled.

"What was that Mr. Rogers?" The teacher asked, in a teacherly correcting voice.

"I gotta go." The blonde stated, loudly this time. Then he heaved his bag over his shoulder and fled the classroom. For almost the whole day, he hid in the janitor's closet. He thought about almost everything. He slept. He waited for periods to go by. Though by the time lunch rolled around, he was hungry as fuck. Carelessly ditching his bag in the closet, he jumped up and started for the cafeteria. On approach, the room looked overly crowed. So, as soon as he got his lunch, he went directly over to his empty table. He actually smiled once he sat down. He was content alone. Who needed friends. Who needed love. Who needed support. Not him, that's for sure. He truly believed he'd convinced himself.

That's when Tony's group of lackeys had approached his table. They all had devilish looks on their faces. Steve glanced at them curiously. "What do you want?" He asked. They all just started cracking up. Steve wasn't annoyed at first, but after they wouldn't shut up he got slightly irritated.

"What?" The blonde snapped. One of the guys caught his breath long enough to formulate a sentence...or rather a word.

"Faggot!" He yelled. While Steve was in shock, his head was shoved directly into his lunch.

One of the other guys was pissed, he yelled "Stay away from Stark you faggot."

Then after another punch to the back of Steve's head, they stalked away. The blonde knew the whole cafeteria was watching him. He lifted his head up and wiped everything off his face with a napkin. Weary, he contemplated leaving. That's when a girl slowly stood up from her table. She walked over to Steve, smiling.

"Hi there, I'm Natasha. I can't help but overhear that people think your gay." She rambled. Finally, she realized why she'd gone over there.

"May I sit?" Steve simply nodded, still cautious. After the rest of her group followed, the lunch room went back to normal. Nobody was looking at Steve any more.

"So, lemme review, Thor, Bruce, Natasha, Clint, and...Loki?" Steve mumbled. They all nodded. Loki however seemed distant. He was looking off at the wall and seemingly talking to himself.

"No offense, but why do you guys want to hang out with me?" The blonde asked bluntly.

"It's simple. Outcasts stick together." The red-head replied.

"Then how are we outcasts?" Steve retorted.

Apparently they all thought that was the most funny joke in the world, for they began to crack up. Steve was conflicted. He felt a lot less alone, but at the same time, he was beginning to realize why he'd been a loner all along. Some deep part of him despised people. Probably because of the way his uncle had always acted. All Steve saw anymore was darkness. He tried to be happy. At times he was temporarily cheery, but then something would happen to make him realize the world was utterly...bad. Either way he'd decided to try to accept these people. Maybe Steve didn't have to be called the loser any longer. Maybe people would actually care about him. He shook his head trying to rid himself of those thoughts.

As he zoned out, time passed like molasses. But eventually, the bell rang. He escaped the cafeteria and found his closet again. As he'd suspected, his bag was untouched. He slung the bag over one shoulder. Hesitantly, he left the closet. However, he didn't dare go to his next period. That was another class with Mr. Big Shot. He walked right out the front doors. Steve realized they'd probably catch him, for there were cameras everywhere. But once again, he didn't care. His boots scuffed the blacktop as he approached his car. Pulling open the door, he slid in. A slight metallic smell hung in the air. He'd gotten comfortable then turned the car on.

He looked up and checked the area, nobody was around. Slowly he pulled out of the school parking lot. As he got on the highway, there were many cars all about. It was of course just around 1. People were all leaving lunch, or trying to get back to their jobs. Suddenly, Steve's phone went off. Confused, he creased his brow in thought. He reached for his bag and dug around a bit for his phone, still trying to keep an eye on the road. But he just couldn't seem to find his freaking phone. And it kept ringing over and over. Whoever was calling him wouldn't let up.

The instant he glanced back at the road, he was flung forward violently.

Then all was black.

Steve awoke in the same place he'd crashed, his car. Although there was a frighteningly large airbag forcing his head back at an uncomfortable angle. He bluntly pushed the object out of the way and crawled out of the car. He landed on the street on all fours. For a moment, Steve simply caught his breath.

When he looked up, there was an officer glaring down at him.

"What happened?" Steve questioned, forcing himself up onto two legs.

"You crashed into a pole." The police officer reported, looking highly disappointed. Steve's brain raced to process this piece of information.

"What? Did I hurt anyone?" Was the blonde's next question. The officer shook his head and looked down at the ground. Next thing Steve knew, he was filling out some kind of legal paperwork at a police station. He'd been told his car was towed. Though luckily he was able to get out his belongings first.

Steve left the station with nothing more than a ticket, and his driver's license was stripped for 2 months.

Beings he was a new driver, he'd gotten it rougher. Also he'd let it slip that he was looking for his phone while driving, which was illegal.

The blonde walked to his apartment. It was only a FEW miles to get there. Once he'd made it to the door, he sighed and bent over his bag to dig for his keys. He pushed the key into the lock and turned. As he pushed the door open, the staleness of the apartment hit him hard. Though, he let out a sigh of relief. It had been a long day and he was finally home. Though it was only 5pm, Steve was exhausted. He shoved the door shut behind him and locked it. He approached his bed and smiled. Next thing you knew, he was lying face first in his pillows and blankets. Only then did a thought pop into his mind.

How was he going to get to his job without a car?

He pondered it for a moment, but then decided he'd figure it out in the morning. In a matter of minutes, he was asleep.

Steve woke up at 2:23am. It was pitch black outside and pouring loudly. He'd always loved rain though. The blonde smiled lazily and heaved himself out of bed. He pulled on some sweats and began to walk to the kitchen. His bare feet made noise on the tile floor. Once he'd arrived, he rummaged the fridge. However, nothing looked amazingly appealing. After a bit of lounging and watching TV, Steve finally thought of something.

Who was that person who was calling him In the middle of the school day?

He stumbled over to his backpack and grabbed his phone. Scrolling through the messages, the blonde was stunned. There were about 10 missed calls from his uncle. And more voicemails then one could count.

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**A/N: There ya go. BTW, More reviews= quicker update. But meh it's up to you. Hope you enjoyed that plot-packed chapter. The next one is going to be fuuuun. **

**But yeah..review? *innocent smile***


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